Proposed Action: Approval. Motion and second required.

Item 3 Open Comments

Open Comments: No motion required.

The purpose of this item is to propose a new degree program, a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree. The proposed BSW would produce highly trained social work professionals who can contribute to sizable and growing community demand in the field.

Students who earn a BSW degree will have a marketable advantage in some practice settings and will have the option of entering an Advanced Standing Master of Social Work (MSW) program. This will allow students to complete their graduate education in approximately one year, compared to two or more without a BSW. Additionally, in 2009, Florida statute mandated that individuals who do not hold a BSW or MSW from an accredited institution are prohibited from calling themselves “social workers” or working in many social work positions.

There are currently eight accredited BSW programs within the State University System. The nearest programs to UNF are at UCF, FSU and FAMU, leaving all of northeast Florida without local access to this important degree program.

Funds for the proposed BSW program are currently within the Department of Sociology & Anthropology budget, thus there would be no reallocation of funds. And the university does not anticipate any significant impact on other programs or departments outside of Sociology & Anthropology. Library resources would be sufficient, as long as current journal subscriptions and book and reference acquisitions are maintained.

The proposed BSW program will directly advance four of the five goals (goals 1-4), articulated in the University of North Florida’s Strategic Plan.

Provost Workman will address the committee and discuss this item.

Proposed Action: Approval. Motion and second required.

This proposal is a request to migrate an existing online degree program from a concentration that was piloted under a M.Ed. in Special Education to a freestanding MS degree with an additional concentration. The original concentration was implemented in 2009 as a result of public demand for a graduate-level program in Interpreting, as there were only two other graduate programs in the U.S. The program is currently in operation via distance delivery with occasional onsite requirements. Transitioning the current program away from its present form as a concentration serves to distinguish Interpreting from Special Education, a philosophical milestone for the program. The program does not prepare K-12 teachers, as the name implies, and would more accurately reflect the nature of the profession if it were an M.S. degree. Transitioning to an M.S. degree to this more current perspective is also a key recruitment benefit for the program.

Proposed Action: Report. No motion required.

Each year, the U.S. News and World Report publishes rankings of colleges and universities. Reputations of universities are frequently reported based on these rankings. Often, students selecting schools that best fit their needs will also turn to these rankings. The university felt it was important that members of the Academic Affairs Committee be updated on UNF’s performance in specific elements of this ranking system.